The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-10
THE HARPER CASE.
His Evidence on the Witness
Stand.
EARTHQUAKES IN ARIZONA.
The Dynamiters-The Pope's Power
Gave the. snap Away-A
Wise Conclusion.
IN ARIZONA.
The Harper Case.

CINCINNATI, December 8. - This
proved to be the most important day in
the Harper trial. Before the hour for
opening court, all available space in the
court room was crowded. Harper sp-
peared pale and anxious. and his wife
weary. Shortly after 10 O'Clock,
Harper was called to the witness stand.
Before he took the oath, Judge Jackson
asked; Ibid you request to be placed
on the witness standP"
Yes SIR" Was the answer.
In answer to questions by
Blackburn witness told of his previous
business career ending with the Fidelity
n tional Bank, which he said he organ
ICED out of the Fidelity Safe Deposit
and Trust Company. He said that in
September, 1886, he was induced by
Wiltshire to make him loan of $55, 000
Wiltshire at that time was a debtor to
tie bank to the amount of 5000 600, and
he presented to Harper that if this
loan was not made the bank would
suffer He accommodated him upon his
making an agreement to transfer Ger
tain real estate; also 100 shares
of Fidelity National Bank at par. All
went well, TIL in October, when witness
returned from little dinner party COM
posed of Wiltshire and some of the
officers of the bank, and found that
during his absence, Wiltshire, Eckert
& Co.'S check for $4,000, on the First
National Bank, had been returned, not
good. That check Wiltshire said he was
unable to make good and the Fidelity
Bank was compelled to carry it. Anoth r
day, when witness was out, Wiltshire,
Eckert & Co., got Hopkins to wire $50 900
credit TO Chicago upon certified checks.
A { the close of business hours that day,
he found Wiltshire, Eckert q Co.'S &C
count overdrawn $50, 900, with the for
mer debt of $26 600, their debt to the
bank OF 5000 600, and their debt to him
OF $50 600. He felt they were in a dan
gerous position. Wiltshire transferred
to him real estate and stock which he
tnrned over to the bank. He stormed
at Wiltshire; but could get nothing
from him. He then suggested to
the cashier to take a call loan from
Wiltshire, Eckert & Co., to square their
accounl, and save the cashier. In an
swer to direct questions from Black
burn, Harper stated unreservedly that
he never gave an order of any kind to
Eckert to buy grain for him in Chicago
and he was equally sweeping and ex-
plicit in saying that he never author
ized Wiltshire to buy grain for him in
or elsewhere. This is the point
of the whole case, and is in direct con-
f1ict with the testimony of both Will
shire and Eckert.
Mr.. Blackburn then took up the &C
counts of the bank with tine First Ne
tioaaI of New York and the Chemical
National of New York, where large
balances were carried, and Mr.. Harper
was called Oh to explain all these trans
actions. He did so with great minute
ness, referring often to the books of
the bank in general. His excuse for
the irregularities was that the bank |
was put into trouble by the Wiltshire, |
Eckert & Co. debt, and he used what
ever methods he could to save the
bank and tide over affairs. His tes-
timony was not ended at the noon ad- |
journmeAt.